The Philippines - The Rough Guide to Southeast Asia on a Budget - page 603

TRAVELLING SAFELY IN MANILA
Manileños take every opportunity to warn visitors about travelling around their city, but as
long as you exercise common sense, there's little to worry about. Armed security guards
patrol MRT and LRT platforms, and there are separate waiting areas for female passengers,
minimizing opportunities for muggers, though of course it pays to remain alert. O cial taxis
are perfectly safe, but take the precaution of sitting in the back, and lock your doors, as you are
likely to sit in tra c for long stretches of any journey. For complaints about taxis in Manila,
contact LTFRB, the Land Transportation Board ( T 02 426 2526), or fill in the form at W taxikick
.com. Taking the bus in Manila is a potentially risky business, however, bus drivers are reckless,
and some take drugs to stay awake.

Destinations north Baguio (hourly; 6-8hr); Banaue
(6 daily; 9hr); Laoag (6-8 daily; 10hr); San Fernando
(La Union; 4-6 daily; 6hr); Vigan (6-8 daily; 10hr).

where you can get a taxi, a jeepney or the LRT to Malate;
Ayala, which is close to Makati's malls and hotels; and
Cubao for bus stations heading north. A one-way journey
ticket ranges from P10 to P15, and a prepaid ticket costs
P100 and is valid for three months.
LRT (Light Rail Transit; daily 5am-9.30pm; W lrta.gov.
ph). An elevated railway that runs from Baclaran in the
south (near the airport) to North Ave MRT terminus,
creating a loop between the MRT and the LRT. Trains run
frequently and journeys cost P12-20. You can use it to get
to places in the north of Manila, such as Rizal Park (exit at
United Nations station), Intramuros (Central station) and
the Chinese Cemetery (Abad Santos station). Pedro Gil
station is a 10min walk from Ermita, while Quirino station
is closest to Malate.
Jeepneys Jeepneys go back and forth all over the city.
Fares start at P10 for the shorter journeys and increase
by P1.75 for each kilometre after. Pass your fare to the
passenger sitting closest to the driver. A useful route
runs the length of Taft Avenue from Baclaran in the south
to Binondo in the north. From Baclaran, you can get
jeepneys to the bus terminals in Pasay. Jeepneys heading
to Cubao will take you past a number of bus terminals at
the northern end of EDSA, where you can get buses to
northern destinations.
Taxis It's extremely cheap and easy to get around Manila
by taxi. Many taxi drivers are happy to turn on their
meters, while others start even the shortest journey with a
long negotiation. Most taxis are a/c and charge an initial
P40, then P2.50 for every 300m.
Buses Local buses in Manila grind their way along all
major thoroughfares. The destination is written on a sign
in the front window, and fares start at P14, but they are
the least reliable form of city transport (see box above).

BY FERRY
There are two main passenger dock areas in Manila: the
North Harbor along Marcos Rd, a few kilometres north of
Intramuros, and the South Harbor near the Manila Hotel.
Almost all 2GO Travel ferries ( W travel.2go.com.ph) use the
new terminal at Pier 4, North Harbor, but make sure to
check with your ticketing agent before travelling. Taxis
from North Harbor to Ermita cost about P150.
Destinations Bacolod (3 weekly; 20hr); Cagayan de
Oro (weekly; 32hr); Cebu City (4 weekly; 21hr); Coron
(weekly; 14hr); Iloilo (2 weekly; 20hr); Puerto Princesa
(weekly; 30hr).

8

INFORMATION AND TOURS
Tourist information The tourist information centre
(Mon-Fri 7am-6.30pm, Sat 8am-5pm; T 02 890 0189
or T 02 525 2000, W visitmyphilippines.com) is at 351
Senator Gil Puyat Ave in Makati, across from the Pacific Star
Building. A useful source of information on Manila is
W clickthecity.com.
Walking tours For something different, try Walk This
Way, run by the highly entertaining Carlos Celdran
( T 0920 909 2021 or T 02 484 4945, W carlosceldran
.com). Carlos leads weekly history-lesson-cum-magical-
mystery tours around the old city (P1100; 3hr). Also
recommended is Ivan Man Dy of Old Manila Walks ( T 0917
329 1622, W oldmanilawalks.com), who conducts fun
tours of Binondo and the Malacañang Palace.

GETTING AROUND
Manila's roads are in a perpetual state of chaos
bordering on anarchy. There are so many vehicles
fighting for every centimetre of road space that at
peak times it can be a sweaty battle of nerves just to
travel a few hundred metres.
MRT (MetroStar Express; daily 5.30am-11pm; W dotcmrt3
.weebly.com). Runs the length of EDSA from Taft Ave in the
south to North Ave, Quezon City. Key stations are Taft, from

ACCOMMODATION
Most of Manila's budget accommodation is in Ermita and
Malate, which also have a high density of restaurants, bars
and tourist services. They are, however, rather insalubrious
areas, so make sure you remain vigilant, especially at
night. Makati, the modern expat area, is a much safer
option, although budget accommodation is less prevalent.